What's That Building: South Shore Cultural Center and Beach

The South Shore Cultural Center is a 65-acre park on Chicago's South Side that includes a secluded beach, a golf course, tennis courts and a nature sanctuary. The park’s showpiece is a Mediterranean Revival building set at the end of a long drive. Formerly known as the South Shore Country Club, the first building was constructed in 1906 and was modeled after a club in Mexico City. That structure, and additions that came after, still stand today. In The Loop’s architecture critic takes us through the long storied history of the building, its preservation and the beach it sits on. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.